Much of the recent public transport limelight has been hogged by the launch of the 24-hour weekend service on the Underground – we even wrote about it ourselves recently.
While the rolling out of the night Tube brings an undeniable boost to the London economy and more choice for those travelling after hours, the service is limited to weekends and is currently restricted to a few lines.
More of an impact will be made by Crossrail, which has recently celebrated a landmark in its creation. London Mayor Sadiq Khan made the first station-to-station journey on Crossrail in late August, travelling between Custom House and Canary Wharf to mark the milestone of 75% of the project being delivered.
Crossrail is currently running on time and within budget, ready for a handover to Transport for London in 2018. The Crossrail route will pass through 40 stations from Reading and Heathrow in the west, and Shenfield and Abbey Wood in the east, adopting the name ‘the Elizabeth line’ when operational. By the end of December 2018, the new service will start an industrial revolution fit for the 21st century but rather than facilitating the transport of commodities such as coal and iron, Crossrail will increase the mobility of employees in the retail, services, IT, finance and tech sectors.
Crossrail also opens the door to international travel on a new level, which is an influential factor in the relocation business and on the international employment stage. The route includes stations at Stratford International for the Eurostar, and terminals 2, 3 and 4 for Heathrow. The importance of both Farringdon and Liverpool Street stations in international travel will also attract interest, with direct trains to Gatwick and Luton Airport from Farringdon, and Stansted Airport from Liverpool Street. Properties to rent in these Central London districts will no doubt increase in popularity.
Previously overlooked areas will begin to step into the renting spotlight thanks to Crossrail. South East London (Abbey Wood and Woolwich), Essex fringes (Romford, Shenfield and Brentwood) and the Berkshire border (Taplow, Twyford, Langley, Iver and Burnham) will become highly commutable for those looking outside of prime Central London. Here you’ll find excellent value properties to rent but as with the night Tube, evidence suggests that rents in these areas will rise in the run up to Crossrail’s opening and continue to report uplift as the line establishes itself.
If you’re looking to secure rental accommodation in London – especially in neighbourhoods that will benefit from a Crossrail station – contact Klippa Relocation today. Our experts can prepare a portfolio of available properties to let, within budget, and can create an orientation programme to include a domestic and international commuting plan.
